Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

Find out more about parliamentary questions

Filter your results Hide all filters

Displaying 48973 questions Show Answers

Order by |

Question reference: S6W-25131

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 22 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to "deepen our global collaborations and engagements", as set out in its publication, Scotland's International Strategy: Delivering for Scotland.

Our internationally focused work, both in Scotland and overseas, provides us with significant opportunities to collaborate and engage with like-minded partners, to share best practice, to learn from others and to help the Scottish Government develop and deliver effective policy at home. We will continue to build on our existing relationships through our network of offices in Europe, North America and China to seek a better understanding of common challenges and priorities across a variety of policy areas and to attract people to come to live, work, study, visit and do business in Scotland.

Question reference: S6W-25134

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 22 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many Arctic (a) delegations and (b) events it plans to host in each of the next five years, as set out in its publication, Scotland's International Strategy: Delivering for Scotland.

Since the publication of Scotland’s Arctic policy framework in 2019, the Scottish Government has helped establish Scotland as a valuable contributor to, and host of, Arctic dialogue. Edinburgh will be hosting Arctic Science Summit Week in March 2024 and the Scottish Government will continue to engage with Arctic partners to secure future opportunities for collaboration to enable delivery of the framework.

Question reference: S6W-25125

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 22 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government how many formal agreements and partnerships it plans on making with key international stakeholders, and with which countries, as set out in its publication, Scotland's International Strategy: Delivering for Scotland.

Our international work provides us with significant opportunities to collaborate with like-minded partners, to share best practice, to learn from others and to help the Scottish Government develop and deliver effective policy at home. We have built links with international partners to discuss domestic interventions to tackle a wide range of issues, including demographic challenges and the conservation of biodiversity. In June last year, for example, we signed a memorandum of understanding with the Flemish Government to strengthen cooperation in a wide range of policy areas to support future collaboration and exchange best practice.

We will continue to engage with a variety of international partners on a range of policy areas, building on relationships where we already have strong links, such as in Europe and our near neighbourhood.

Question reference: S6W-25126

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 22 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what action it plans to take to support Scotland's "internationally recognised cultural and higher education sectors" to their full potential, as set out in its publication, Scotland's International Strategy: Delivering for Scotland.

As set out in the International Strategy, we want to build on Scotland’s long history of excellence in the cultural and higher education sectors. This is why we have published a standalone International Higher Education Strategy. Universities Scotland and Colleges Scotland were engaged in the development of the strategy which outlines how we will work collaboratively with the higher education sector to achieve our joint ambitions:

attract global students, staff, and researchers to help diversify our international student population and support them to maximise their contribution to Scotland.
as an outward looking, inclusive nation that values our international education capabilities and export potential, we will work with universities and colleges, to maximise our social, educational and economic contribution globally.
as a world leader in international education, research and knowledge exchange, deepen our global collaborations and engagements .

We have also committed to publishing an International Culture Strategy, which will build on the work that the Scottish Government already does to showcase the sector and facilitate opportunities for international collaboration .

Question reference: S6W-25130

Asked by: Donald Cameron, MSP for Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 01 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Angus Robertson on 22 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government what new funding will be available to allow Screen Scotland and enterprise agencies to "seek new opportunities to support and grow the screen sector", as set out in its publication, Scotland's International Strategy: Delivering for Scotland.

Thanks to continued investment from Scottish Government, the screen sector in Scotland continues to grow. The 2021 Economic Value of the Screen Sector in Scotland Report showed a rise from £567 million GVA in 2019 to £627 million GVA in 2021.

Scottish Government has a strong track record of supporting the Screen Sector and since 2018, has provided £50 million to Screen Scotland in regular Grant in Aid funding with an additional £14.8 million (£14,749,690) funding provided for Covid-19 support, skills, studios, and cinema projects.

This funding has enabled Screen Scotland to provide specialist support across the industry, including for new productions, skills and training programmes, and the film exhibition sector.

We remain committed to the screen and wider culture sector and are increasing funding to the culture sector by £15.8m next financial year to £196.6m, which is the first step on the route to investing at least £100m more annually in culture and the arts by the financial year 2028-29. In 2025-2026 we aim to provide an additional £25m to the culture sector.

This investment will drive up opportunities for participation in creative pursuits, support the production of new works, increase skills provision, and ensure that Scotland’s cultural output has platforms at home and abroad.

We are continually seeking new opportunities to support and grow the screen sector and we are committed to ensuring that the exceptional growth experienced in recent years continues to develop our sustainable creative economy, making Scotland an attractive production base and place for people in the creative industries to live and work.

Question reference: S6W-25057

Asked by: Monica Lennon, MSP for Central Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 31 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Mairi McAllan on 22 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will consider implementing any of the recommendations in the Climate Emergency Response Group report, Committing to delivery: Certainty and leadership for a just transition to a net zero, climate resilient future for Scotland.

The Scottish Government welcomed the Climate Emergency Response Group’s (CERG) annual report, which set out their four key areas of proposed action.

We are already taking action to address many of the issues highlighted by CERG, including: undertaking a pilot this year to introduce a net zero assessment of Scottish Government policies; publishing the final route map to reduce car kilometres; and through our commitment of £1.8 billion of funding over this Parliament towards heat and energy efficiency measures.

The Scottish Government looks forward to continuing our engagement with the CERG on tackling the climate crisis.

Question reference: S6W-24997

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 22 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government which plastic waste initiatives it has funded since 2013; how much each initiative cost, and what (a) plastic waste and (b) carbon impact reduction each initiative achieved.

The Scottish Government is committed to tackling plastic waste by focusing on a wide range of initiatives aimed at reducing its use, improving recycling and reducing plastic waste going to landfill. The Recycling Improvement Fund (RIF), while not specifically focused on plastics, is supporting a number of projects that include a plastic waste element and 23 such projects have received a total of £59,301,849 to date saving an estimated 9099 tCO2e per annum. A full breakdown of RIF projects available from the Scottish Parliament Information Centre (Bib. number 64895).

In addition, Zero Waste Scotland has supported a range of initiatives addressing the issues around plastics. For example, the Circular Economy Investment Fund has provided grant support to 13 SMEs that were involved in partially or fully in the collection, processing and management of a variety of waste polymers. The fund has invested £8,918,010, is supporting 21 FTE jobs, and has saved 36,939 tCO2eq.

Question reference: S6W-24998

Asked by: Maurice Golden, MSP for North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Tuesday, 30 January 2024
Current Status: Answered by Lorna Slater on 22 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government which food waste initiatives it has funded since 2013; how much each initiative cost, and what (a) food waste and (b) carbon impact reduction each initiative achieved.

Question reference: S6O-03117

Asked by: Colin Smyth, MSP for South Scotland, Scottish Labour
Date lodged: Wednesday, 14 February 2024
Current Status: Answered by Shona Robison on 22 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its inquiries with Glasgow City Council regarding the circumstances in which children came to be placed at Fornethy House.

I instructed the appointment of an independent researcher to make enquiries in respect of Fornethy House in August last year. Those enquiries have now concluded and the findings of the research report were shared with Parliament yesterday.

I have also shared the report with the Fornethy Survivors Group and invited them to meet with me to discuss it further, having previously met with them along with the First Minister.

I will attend an evidence session with the Public Petitions Committee on 20 March to discuss this matter further.

Question reference: S6O-03147

Asked by: Jackie Dunbar, MSP for Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 21 February 2024
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 29 February 2024

To ask the Scottish Government, in light of recent ONS data, what assessment it has made of the impact on Scotland’s public finances of the UK entering a recession in 2023.

Parliament dissolved ahead of election

Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Filter your results Hide all filters

Answer

Answer

Answer

Answer

Answer

Answer

Answer

Answer

Answer

Answer